1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flushing device of a standard commode and, more particularly, to a rotary flushing device for use inside the water storage tank of a standard commode.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
There are numerous known design problems associated with the standard rubber stopper flap used to discharge water from the water storage tank into the bowl of a commode. After a period of time, the rubber stopper begins to decay or deform and fail to properly seal the discharge port of the water storage tank. Many gallons of water are often wasted through the failure of the rubber stopper, not to mention the labor and expense required to replace it. In addition to these basic design flaws, the rubber stopper does not provide an effective means of controlling the quantity of water that is flushed through the commode system. As water conservation efforts have increased in importance, many alternative devices to the rubber stopper have been devised. Among the most popular alternatives are siphon flushing devices that use the principles of suction and hydraulic head to induce a siphoning flushing effect.
The existing prior art relating to siphon flushing devices includes a tank check valve siphon flushing device described by Osmond, U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,375. The Osmond device uses a inverted U-shaped siphoning tube as the means for discharging water from the storage tank to the bowl. The inverted U-shaped tube is charged by an overhead water bridge with a check valve that controls water discharge into the siphon tubing.
Frank, U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,855 describes a complicated siphon flushing mechanism consisting of two inverted U-shaped traps that induce a siphoning effect and discharge the storage tank water. An internal flexible connector tube activates the siphoning effect through a lifting action causing communication between the two inverted U-shaped trap units.
Other siphon flushing devices exist in the prior art that incorporate the conventional inverted U-shape configuration in the device. The majority of these devices, however, contain numerous valves and seals necessary to control the siphon flushing action. Such inventions include U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,712 by Kwod Wang-on, U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,892 by McDonough, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,953 by Dudley.
In each of the prior art references provided and those reviewed, none of the siphon flushing devices incorporate a rotary action for activating the siphon flushing effect. One of the many advantages of the rotary siphon flusher, as described herein, is that the rotation action of the rotary pipe member can be activated by the conventional chain pull mechanism common in most commodes. Additionally, there is no need for ancillary valves or seals. The device can be easily installed in the water storage tank of most conventional commodes or toilets. The quantity and force of water discharged by the present invention can be determined by the configuration or the rotary pipe member of the device.